David Leggat: Snicko technology proves worth in seamless introduction

The technology which enables the third umpire to make a judgment takes about 25 or 30 seconds. Photo / Getty Images

One ball in and the newest bit of cricket technology was in business.

When umpire Paul Reiffel judged Peter Fulton lbw to the first ball of the second test by Tino Best, Real Time Snicko made its debut.

Fulton sought a third umpire referral. Hot Spot hinted at an inside edge but not definitively. So RTS was then used, which showed the tall opener had indeed got a touch before the ball cannoned into his pad.

The technology which enables the third umpire to make a judgment takes about 25 or 30 seconds. Both the Black Caps and the Windies agreed on Monday night to its use in the second and third tests of the series, after it had an unofficial, and hush-hush, trial run during the drawn first test.

It is effectively a third point of checking. First there's the on-field umpire's call, followed by Hot Spot. If Hot Spot had made it clear Fulton had edged the ball, the issue would have stopped there.

Because there remained an element of doubt, RTS was used to confirm the right call. The process was smooth, it didn't take long and as a debut performance, could not be faulted.